Class of 2020

[cnocmmz]

Well, I’m going to go ahead and claim the brass ring at age 54. The numbers work and my last working day was Friday, although part of my severance keeps me on the payroll until August 14. I’ve told everyone I’m taking a long-planned sabbatical. With all the mental hamster wheels still spinning on momentum, I can’t guarantee that I’ll never get paid again for something (the head hunter who placed me already reached out), and DW has an enjoyable, easy, part time, remote job that she seems to need to fill time and have purpose, but the Vanguard and Personal Capital projections show that we don’t actually have to do anything if we don’t want to. Today is my first day of freedom so I’m going grocery shopping on a Monday morning, then start a fun-for-me project of building a fence in the backyard to start experiencing what all this FIRE business actually is! WAHOO!

Awesome and congrats

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

Congrats to everyone FIREing themselves recently!


Today was my original, pre-COVID target; mentally, I feel like the timeline didn't change. I sort of feel like I'm retiring in place when working from home and less motivated to do any stupid things I'm tasked with and I don't have to "look" busy. I do want to do things I enjoy for money (which, in this weird COVID world eases some of my uncertainty) in retirement. I applied for a FT job at a craft brewery walking distance from my home yesterday and am keeping my fingers crossed. Only 4 days a week and something/place I'd really have fun w*rking and hanging out... the income and full-time schedule, wouldn't make me "RE" but I would be doing something I enjoy and without technically needing the income.... definitely feeling the FI! (even if a bit risk averse at the moment).


FLSunFIRE

 

[RxMan]

Congrats everyone!

 

[KarlH]

I'm planning to retire this year, hopefully before I turn 55 in October.

Our nest egg is a somewhat complicated mess that includes a large chunk of inherited IRA that must be cashed out in the next 10 years due to the changes in tax law. On top of this I have taxable investments, and my own IRAs, and a combination of 529 and UTF savings accounts to cover my two teenagers college expenses. When I do my FIRE calculations, I use the sum of the inherited IRA, regular IRAs, and taxable investments which total a bit over 2.5MM. The college accounts amount to another 400K, which I think can cover both kids educations.

My date is currently up in the air, as are many things due to the pandemic. One of the teenagers is still in high school, and we are not sure what the format will be in the fall. A program of full time remote learning might make me pull the plug by August. I get a review and profit sharing statement from my employer in September, and if this is better than I expect I might hold off into January to meet a vesting timeline. My expectations are not high for that.

Overall, the big concerns are paying for heath care, but I feel like there are good options and we are hoping that my DW will continue working a bit longer with benefits to cover short term. I have also found packages in the 1200/month range that should cover the family and be affordable as an option. FireCalc tells me I can withdraw 85K/year with 100% success on a 35 year schedule (and I think we can live just fine on this).

I still wonder about some things, like we have 17 years left on our mortgage, and we have a car payment (although we could pay that off with cash on hand). Am I overthinking it?

 

[HI Bill]

Aloha - I'm officially moving to the Class of 2021. This year, I had a 'solid' RE date of May 15, which was eight weeks after a month-long vacation to New Zealand. Coming home to mandatory stay-at-home orders meant I no longer had to go into the office. It also meant no more travel this year. So, we're now buying a house instead of a condo, and I'm planning to RE in mid-January 2021 (Rule of 55) or later, depending on the upgrades we decide to do with the house. The list is already long and expensive, and we haven't moved in yet! Anyway, excited to change islands, buy my first house (after 3 condos), have our own pool, and be able to dive locally year-round. Aloha, and good luck to those of you in this class who haven't ER yet!

 

[ugeauxgirl]

Aloha - I'm officially moving to the Class of 2021. This year, I had a 'solid' RE date of May 15, which was eight weeks after a month-long vacation to New Zealand. Coming home to mandatory stay-at-home orders meant I no longer had to go into the office. It also meant no more travel this year. So, we're now buying a house instead of a condo, and I'm planning to RE in mid-January 2021 (Rule of 55) or later, depending on the upgrades we decide to do with the house. The list is already long and expensive, and we haven't moved in yet! Anyway, excited to change islands, buy my first house (after 3 condos), have our own pool, and be able to dive locally year-round. Aloha, and good luck to those of you in this class who haven't ER yet!

We'll, you don't seem upset about it at least. Making lemonade out of life's lemons- [emoji16]

 

[kgtest]

Aloha - I'm officially moving to the Class of 2021. This year, I had a 'solid' RE date of May 15, which was eight weeks after a month-long vacation to New Zealand. Coming home to mandatory stay-at-home orders meant I no longer had to go into the office. It also meant no more travel this year. So, we're now buying a house instead of a condo, and I'm planning to RE in mid-January 2021 (Rule of 55) or later, depending on the upgrades we decide to do with the house. The list is already long and expensive, and we haven't moved in yet! Anyway, excited to change islands, buy my first house (after 3 condos), have our own pool, and be able to dive locally year-round. Aloha, and good luck to those of you in this class who haven't ER yet!

Much Mana to you as you embark on a what sounds like a huge transitional year. One thing I liked about Hawaii's transient population was it was super easy to aquire and get rid of things when we arrived/moved. Not sure if pandemonium has slowed that migration trend but you know all about island shipping. I recommend crating or sharing a crate inner island.

 

[OTDasap2020]

Unlike HNLBill today is the day for me. This email is my last action on my work computer before i turn it off and hand in my computer, phone and ID badge. Was not so certain about 7 months ago i gave notice then COVID hit and stock market tanked. While the numbers still worked since my scenario planning was fairly gloomy with 50% market drop and no real recovery, 25% SS cut, and over estimates on expenses it still seemed like the gods were sending me a message. But being a naturally frugal LBYM person by nature and similar spouse, apparently messages from the gods are soon forgotten. But really i think it was first good planning with help from sites like this and people like you. Telework helped with the transition to not working by slowly removing commutes, constant travel and a portion of the constant stress. So wish me luck as i take the first step to being an unproductive burden on society.

 

[HI Bill]

Much Mana to you as you embark on a what sounds like a huge transitional year. One thing I liked about Hawaii's transient population was it was super easy to aquire and get rid of things when we arrived/moved. Not sure if pandemonium has slowed that migration trend but you know all about island shipping. I recommend crating or sharing a crate inner island.

Thanks! Last time, I rented an 8-foot cube (shipping container), and it was cheap! Like $200. Not sure if they're available anymore, and not sure everything will fit. I've moved to Oahu twice, to Maui, to CA from Maui, but never to Hawaii Island!

 

[HI Bill]

We'll, you don't seem upset about it at least. Making lemonade out of life's lemons- [emoji16]

Not too upset at the moment, but I'll admit to some mild depression amidst the self-isolation, and cancelled Europe, Okinawa, and Galapagos travel plans. Giving up this year's extensive travel plans and continuing to w#rk was hard at first, but being on the way to our dream home, and the island I've wanted to live on for the past 26 years is making this way easier! Once I close escrow and move, making it to the end of the year w#rking may be much harder than it appears now!

 

[Draggon]

So wish me luck as i take the first step to being an unproductive burden on society.

Congratulations, and good luck! I'm looking forward to also being an unproductive burden...

 

[Draggon]

I announced last Friday on my MegaCorp 30yr anniversary. Giving up a nice salary but my brain was rotting. Excited and naturally scared having to cover healthcare for 8 more years...

Congrats, Lima! Do you want to be included on The List? If so, what is your retirement date?

 

[HI Bill]

Congratulations, and good luck! I'm looking forward to also being an unproductive burden...

I look at FIRE as quite the opposite. We're making jobs available for younger folks, and are spending our lifetime of accumulation, helping out the economy, buying goods and services, travel, real estate, etc. Our $ are either in the markets or are providing housing in the form of rentals. Just because we're no longer personally a 'productive member of society', doesn't mean we're a burden...

Personally, I'll be hiring a yard crew to maintain my yard, paying a lot of property taxes, etc. But my new PV system will have me paying almost no electricity bill. Once we've gotten COVID-19 under control, we can resume travel and help the restaurants, airlines, and tourist locales recover from the current devastation!

 

[Draggon]

Well... we've still got a pandemic. We're still learning more every day and still don't seem to be a whole lot closer to knowing how this all ends. But, I'm hopeful our brilliant scientists will figure this out and the world will find some level of normalcy... someday... soon?

On a brighter note, Your LIST update is here! We have a few new retirees, a few altered plans, and a handful of additions to the 2020 Class, so please welcome them aboard the train!

PLEASE NOTE: I went back through the forum and added "Announcement" links to all who notified us of their successful retirement. If you find an error, please let me know as this is a bit of a tedious cut & paste task! Also, if you'd like your Announcement to point somewhere else, let me know - I can do that, too! LoL - I also just found out that there is a limit of 15 emoticons per post - so no more smilies from me!!

Congratulations to everyone that's "Made It" so far! Livin' the dream (although likely in isolation)!

Class of 2020 (Un)Official List... (I like lists! ):
Trivia Item: (The Birth of The List)

• dingo - 1/2/2020 (Congrats! (snuck in front of Ergragg1)) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Erbragg1 - 1/3/2020 (Early bird... Teacher's pet... ) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Octogirl - 1/3/2020 {CHECK} (Completing part-time assignment 7/24/20) (Announcement) (Update)
• INTJ10 - 1/9/2020 {CHECK} (W*rking an overpaid temp job) (Announcement)
• Out_the_Door - 1/24/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• idledancer - 1/27/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• nobodyspecial - 1/31/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• AS2019 - 2/14/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Third Son - 2/29/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• target2019 - 2/28/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• JakeinChina - 3/1/2020 {CHECK} (41!) (Announcement)
• HighFlight - 3/4/2020 {CHECK} (but not the easy way!) (Announcement)
• nobody - 3/6/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• 51notout - 3/6/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Maenad - 3/13/2020 {Waiting for Update...}
• Go-NoGo - 3/16/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• georgemoe - 3/20/2020 (after 43 years!) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• CoastboundPNW - 4/1/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Grimelowe - 4/3/2020 (45yo - Nice!) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• TN Jim - 4/10/2020 (Earlier than expected; nice!) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Born2Fish - 4/16/2020 (Hey, I'm here and retired!) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• jaharrer - 4/30/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• 1242Vintage - 4/30/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Lucie's Husband - 5/9/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• RobLJ - 5/19/2020 (Retiring the rest of the way! ) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Mountain skier - 5/21/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Ger0n1mo - 5/31/2020 (Hoping...) {Waiting for update...}
• mattwallace24 - 5/2020 (Placeholder) {Waiting for update...}
• kingkarmann - 6/5/2020 (Accelerated!) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Dalmore - 6/11/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• roadtripper - 6/30/2020 (Left 6/19 or 6/12?) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Lienlord - 7/1/2020 (fuzzy - due to pandemic!) {Waiting for update...}
• DRC726 - 7/1/2020 (Placeholder - pandemic delay) {Waiting for update...}
• COcheesehead - 7/10/2020 (Countdown is on!!) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• wmackey - 7/10/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• Markola - 7/10/2020 {CHECK} (Announcement)
• OTDasap2020 - 7/31/2020 (A sap? ) {CHECK} (Announcement)
• brainsagolfer - 8/1/2020 (PTO started 6/24)
• fishnfool - 8/7/2020 (guesstimate from "35 working days" from 6/23)
• lampshade - 8/28/2020 (Last working day is 7/31)
• free2020 - 8/31/2020
• FlyFisher - 9/1/2020
• L Carlisle - 9/1/2020 (MOSTly retiring...)
• albireo13 - 9/4/2020 (Sounds like the best of the dates you've proposed so far!)
• spikeykiller - 9/10/2020 (Say "NO!" to OMY! )
• GoBugGo - 9/25/2020
• bada bing - 9/30/2020 (Landed a great package!)
• firewhen - 9/30/2020 (Finally got the nudge they needed!)(Slight delay, but still 2020!)
• KarlH - 9/30/2020 (Date taken from "hopefully before I turn 55 in October")
• Unpaintedhuffhines - 10/1/2020 (RSU's FTW! )
• Draggon - 11/1/2020 (1st date eligible)
• Mr. Vacation4us - 11/2/2020
• f35phixer - 11/12/2020 (Not committed - likes their J*B!?)
• ugeauxgirl - 11/15/2020 (Class ringleader )(Corona delay!)
• ohiodep and the DW - 12/1/2020 (Leaving work 9/17/2020 on vacay!)
• tinlizzy - 12/1/2020 (deferred from 6/1 - i.e. Plan B!)
• Mrs. Vacation4us - 12/15/2020 (Mr. V cut in front of her!)
• FLSUnFIRE - 12/31/2020 (date taken from "the end of the year")
• cnocmmz - 12/31/2020 (deferred due to pandemic )
• Magoo30 - 12/31/2020
• pdxgal - 6/30/2020 (COVID delay)
• retire202052 - 12/2020 (I may have figured out the pattern of your UserID )
• Marita40 - 12/2020
• gamboolman - 12/31/2020 (g-man says 1/1/21, but I'm giving him 12/31 to keep him in our class!)
• HNL Bill - 1/15(ish)/2021 (Former classmate, now a proud member of the Class of 2021!)
• RxMan - ??/20?? (Class of 2020 Official Stalker)
  
  

Anyone else want to post their target? Also, lemme know if I miss one.

 

[Draggon]

I look at FIRE as quite the opposite.

I completely agree with you, but that is a much less humorous way of describing one's retired self...

 

[Draggon]

Well, it's getting more and more real... they hired my replacement; started this past Monday. He's excited about the job, so that makes it a little more fun to try to distill my years of infinite wisdom into little nuggets to be absorbed.

So, now I'm a lame duck until my last working day which will now likely be 10/30/2020. I was previously planning to take PTO starting 9/23, but there's really no good reason to do that in today's climate. Working from home has had a most noticeable reduction in my stress levels, plus getting paid for the PTO will be a nice little bonus since I'm forgoing this year's actual bonus by leaving... QUACK!

 

[COcheesehead]

I had to check the calendar to make sure, but I am entering my 4th week of retirement. Time has a way of getting muddled. I have to stop and think about what day of the week it is.
I am amazed at how quickly all the little w*rk related annoyances have faded away. I had something flash through my brain recently related to my old job and I had an “oh, yea, forget all about that” moment. It made me realize how quickly I have moved on from my recent past.
Days fly by. We have been hiking, biking, golfing, socializing (socially distanced of course), doing day trips, playing guitar... I am busier in retirement than I thought. I also picked up a two day a week gig working at a local winery helping out where I can. That’s been really fun.

So to all my classmates before me, thanks for the inspiration. For all of you behind me, you won’t regret a thing.

 

[Markola]

I had to check the calendar to make sure, but I am entering my 4th week of retirement. Time has a way of getting muddled. I have to stop and think about what day of the week it is.
I am amazed at how quickly all the little w*rk related annoyances have faded away. I had something flash through my brain recently related to my old job and I had an “oh, yea, forget all about that” moment. It made me realize how quickly I have moved on from my recent past.
Days fly by. We have been hiking, biking, golfing, socializing (socially distanced of course), doing day trips, playing guitar... I am busier in retirement than I thought. I also picked up a two day a week gig working at a local winery helping out where I can. That’s been really fun.

So to all my classmates before me, thanks for the inspiration. For all of you behind me, you won’t regret a thing.

100% my experience since my last day on July 8, right down to playing more guitar. I could have almost written your post. Amazing, isn’t it? We pinch ourselves.

 

[COcheesehead]

100% my experience since my last day on July 8, right down to playing more guitar. I could have almost written your post. Amazing, isn’t it? We pinch ourselves.

Trust me, I do overlook how fortunate I am.

 

[Maenad]

I've gotten so distracted with futzing around in retirement I forgot to post an update!

We did indeed retire on March 13th. My last real day was the 12th, and I just called in to my exit interview on the morning of the 13th. After I'd handed in my laptop and was making my last rounds, I heard that the word had just come down to start working from home Monday the 16th, so I left just before the fit hit the shan.

We've been doing a whole lot of nothing, decompressing from work stress. My parents' health is in pretty rapid decline, so I've taken up a lot of driving for groceries, errands, and doc appointments. I'm really glad I'm able to help, my brother is local (as are my folks), and he's done a lot to help them, but he's having a really hard time dealing with this, so I'm glad to pick up a larger share right now.

Our spending has been a little less than before we retired, but a lot of that is because we're being careful about it, both because of the shock of turning off the firehose of income, and the current economic uncertainty. We did just switch our phones from Verizon to Google Fi, which should be about $50 a month less. Today we're looking into internet and if we can reduce that some.

I'm sleeping much better these days, and don't need as much. It's wonderful to wake up rested. However, neither one of us has as much energy as we'd like. We're not sure if we're still recovering from work, or if we've let ourselves get lazy. Since it hasn't been 5 months yet, I'm not worried, just kind of observing.

 

[kingkarmann]

After a couple of months into retirement I regret to inform you all that I still know what day it is! Wondering when I'll start forgetting?
I truly have not been more relaxed in my whole adult life!
To DRAGGON, thanks for the work you do. I can tell it's a labor of love. We need more of that
To all of you that have FIRED in the "Year of Covid" stay well and, CONGRATS!!!

 

[Markola]

I'm sleeping much better these days, and don't need as much. It's wonderful to wake up rested. However, neither one of us has as much energy as we'd like. We're not sure if we're still recovering from work, or if we've let ourselves get lazy. Since it hasn't been 5 months yet, I'm not worried, just kind of observing.

Interesting observation. I’ve been pondering all the little ways the expectations of other people motivated me to do stuff, which required energy. Bosses, coworkers, meetings, deadlines. All that stuff is GONE but it’s too recently departed to have rebuilt a new internal motivational system to require me to put one foot in front of the other and get the energy flowing. I’ll have to sit on the couch and give that a good think.

 

[COcheesehead]

Trust me, I do overlook how fortunate I am.

I mean do NOT overlook....

 

[makingaplan]

After 50 years of going back to school not this year!

I retired yesterday! I am not going back to teach under these conditions. I have been saving for 30 years so it is all good! Good luck to all the poor teachers who can not afford to retire. It is not the virus that is the issue it is the unknown and being asked to do 10 jobs at one time.

 

[HI Bill]

I retired yesterday! I am not going back to teach under these conditions. I have been saving for 30 years so it is all good! Good luck to all the poor teachers who can not afford to retire. It is not the virus that is the issue it is the unknown and being asked to do 10 jobs at one time.

Congrats!